Etsy Seller Interview with Greta of ATERGcrochet

How ATERGcrochet got started

Introduce your Etsy shop and tell us your story. How did you begin and decide on what to sell on Etsy, and how do you create your products?

Hi! My name is Greta, a BIG yarn lover, designer of colorful crochet items, and owner of ATERGcrochet. I'm selling PDF patterns from these designs, or converting these patterns into custom order requests. 

Whilst living in Paris I designed colorful crochet plaids, cushions, ornaments, flowers, lamps, etcetera, which I sold in the interieur shop from a Dutch friend in Dourdan (France). At the same time, I got acquainted with Etsy, trying to sell my colorful handmade crochet items.

These items amazingly found their way very quickly all over the world. A  lot of crochet lovers started to ask if I would like to share my crochet patterns, and I took a deep dive. I had never worked out a pattern in a tutorial or even had any experience in international crochet terms.

Luckily, all worked out well, and my passion became my daily job! 

Favorite items

What are your favorite items? What makes these so special? Why do you think these items might be selling well?

My first written pattern, Christmasball in 4 sizes, is one of my favorite items. It brings me back to the start of a new period in my life, and after nearly 10 years on Etsy, it is still a very popular pattern. The pattern looks difficult, using a lot of different colors, but it’s super easy to make if you are acquainted with the basics of crochet. 

Next to my first pattern, I still find the Owl Cushion adorable, the Boho Rug made with cord is a beautiful eye catcher in every house, and finally, the Flower Square Shawl, for which I used my own hand-dyed alpaca yarns, looks so airy and delicate. 

There are so many more items I could mention, but the main thing is I enjoy making to inspire, and the other way around to get inspired.

Getting sales on Etsy

How long did it take for you to earn your first sale and how do you currently attract customers to your Etsy shop?  

It’s nearly 10 years ago, but I think it was in one of the first weeks that I sold one of my ready-made crochet items, and also received some custom orders. One of them was to make 125 little owl ornaments for a lady in Greece for a kids' communion.

I am not very active in attracting customers to my Etsy shop, I do post photos on Instagram if I am working on something new. 

A lot of customers show their finished crochet work using my patterns via a blog, Facebook and other media, and are so kind to add a link. It looks like the old fashioned word to mouth on the internet does its job!

Next to that, I have made some designs for crochet magazines, books, and for Little Box of Crochet from Amanda Bloom. This way, I am so lucky to get the chance to reach a lot of crocheters.

Managing ATERGcrochet

How do you manage your shop? Are you running solo or do you have any team members? What tools or services do you use to run your shop and how do you handle fulfillment?

My shop is only managed by me. The crochet patterns are direct downloads, which makes it quite easy (a few years ago all PDFs had to be sent to emails).

I do my own packing and shipping, answering emails and Etsy messages every day, using Word to work out my patterns, and not to forget my faithful camera in making step by step photos. 

The future of ATERGcrochet

What goals do you have for your shop in the future?

I have no special plan for my shop, but plan to stay creative in all kinds of ways. Creating more lovely crochet ideas that float in my head, keep my shop small (just me), take time for exquisite custom requests, and listing new patterns in my shop to inspire lots of other crochet lovers.

Advice for new sellers

What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?

Just go for it! It really is worth a try! 

Keep in mind to make a stock before you open your shop, as a filled shop looks much better and profi than just adding a few things. 

Good and clear daylight photos are also a must.

Make your packaging something special and personal - this is what Etsy customers appreciate. 

Be patient, learn from the bumps you encounter, but most of all enjoy. This will radiate your Etsy shop!